Jim is a young British officer on the passenger ship Patna. During an accident at sea in the Indian Ocean, Jim follows the captain and abandons the sinking ship and its passengers. Jim must face a court trial for this act of cowardice, which will torment him all his life. At the trial Jim meets Marlow, an older sea captain, who helps him find work. But Jim is always restless. He moves to Malaysia where he tries to start a new life.